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Use Advanced Text Alignment Feature with Graphics: MS Word

by Carol Bratt on November, 15 2006 at 08:11AM EST

After you've changed a picture into a floating object, you can further control how the text flows in relation to the picture. You can edit the wrap points to control how close the text wraps next to the picture.

To do so:

Click to select the picture.

Click the Text Wrapping button and choose Edit Wrap Points. The picture is then surrounded with a red dashed outline with small black handles at each angle.

To move the wrap point, click and drag it. To add a new wrap point, click anywhere on the red dashed line and drag. The text wrapping changes immediately.

Click outside the picture to get rid of the wrap points.

For more precise control, click the Advanced button on the Layout tab of the Format Picture dialog box to see the Advanced Layout dialog box. This dialog box has two tabs.

Click the Text Wrapping tab. Here you can see a preview of the various wrapping styles and specify the exact space between the picture and the text that flows around it.

Click the Picture Position tab. Here you can specify the exact location to position a picture on a page. You don't have to eyeball it if you know you want it at the exact vertical and horizontal center, for instance. You can also select the Move Object with Text check box to anchor the picture to a particular paragraph or the Lock anchor check box to anchor it to a particular spot on the page.

Fine-tuning the text wrapping and page position of a picture gives you complete control over the appearance of the text and pictures on the page.

Here's a tip you won't find most places -- if you want to convert a picture back to an inline object again, there is no button for that event. You must access the Format Picture dialog box and choose In Line with Text wrapping style.

(c) Carol Bratt, all rights reserved. Used with permission. Duplication is forbidden without express consent of author. Visit Carol's web site to learn more tips like this one!